European Parliament defines ISIS killings as ‘genocide’

MEPs urge the international community to take urgent action to counter the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Daesh, in a resolution voted on Thursday. (European Parliament Press Release)

It stresses that the “so-called ‘ISIS/Da’esh’ commits genocide against Christians and Yazidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities,” according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), (Full text of the resolution here)

The vote, decided by a show of hands at a European Parliament plenary session in the French city of Strasbourg, was the first time that the body has recognized an ongoing conflict situation as a genocide. (Newsweek)

“We applaud the European Parliament for having responded to clear and compelling evidence that Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East are victims of intentional destruction and genocide. The overwhelming majority who voted in favour of this recognition is remarkable and shows that Europe will not tolerate this ongoing genocide any longer”, said Sophia Kuby, Director of EU Advocacy at ADF International.

In the debate on 20th January, many MEPs asked the European Parliament to define the atrocities of ISIS a ‘genocide’ but the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Federica Mogherini refuses to use the word ‘genocide’. Will she change her mind now?

Now it is up to the United Nations member states to rise this issue at the Security Council “to support a referral by the Security Council to the International Criminal Court in order to investigate violations committed in Iraq and Syria by the so-called ‘ISIS/Daesh’ against Christians, Yazidis and religious and ethnic minorities”.